By M.K. This week was not just the week of Sukkos, it was the week that the Daf Hashovua (aka Daf A Week) world-wide program completed Maseches Sukkah – which began exactly one year ago – and began Maseches Beitza (aka Maseches Yom Tov). Timing is everything! Ironically, the schedule was first published eleven and a half years ago when the program started.
The Daf Hashovua program began on March 5, 2005 with Maseches Brachos on the same day that Daf Yomi began the same masechta with the start of their 12th cycle. Since then, lomdim have completed Masechtos Brachos, Shabbos, Eruvin, Pesachim, Shekalim, Yuma and most recently Maseches Sukkah.
The mission is to allow time to thoroughly grasp even the most challenging sugyos, and to do significant chazara — spending a week mastering each daf before moving to the next one. The program includes thousands of participants in more than 25 cities worldwide and the pace encourages lomdim to take increasing responsibility for their learning, and as they do, many find it growing more meaningful and rewarding than ever before.
Who can benefit from Daf Hashovua? Almost anyone! It provides a structured framework in which anyone with a desire to step up their learning can do so with the support and chevraschaft of a large and ever-growing tzibur. It can do for you what it’s done for so many others — imbue your learning with seriousness of purpose and unmatched satisfaction, ultimately providing genuine chiyus and simchas hachayim.
Daf Hashovua’s slogan has always been, “Learn it, Review it, Own it!” Those who are able to invest sufficient time into proper chazara can indeed make a true kinyan b’Torah, one masechta at a time, to whatever level of depth they are able to achieve. Many who have joined the program have remarked how their learning has become so much sweeter because they feel they can finally retain their learning in ways they were never able to before!
Of course, there is also the ultimate goal of getting through Shas using this limud. Although it may be encouraging that Rav Chaim Kanievsky, shlit”a has given his personal bracha that those who have started the program should be able to complete it, nonetheless with a nearly 52-year cycle on this program, that goal may seem very distant or perhaps out of reach for some. Indeed, getting through Shas can be achieved much faster by learning Daf Yomi, however, the focus of Daf Hashovua is on the quality of learning and the ability to remember what you learn. This is bolstered, in a way similar to Daf Yomi, by the fact that the learning is at a fixed, disciplined pace, and participants are in the company of many others who are learning the same gemara along with them.
Daf Hashovua has been catching on quickly, and programs have already been established in dozens of communities. Many will learn the daf b’chavrusa, while others will learn it initially by attending a shiur. Each community has different learning programs and shiurim available according to the needs of that community, and the resources to support participants have been steadily increasing. What is common, however, is that similar to Daf Yomi, all participants are following a fixed pace which offers structure and a steady roadmap for their learning.
In addition to local resources, a great deal of material is available online via www.dafaweek.org as well, in the form of audio shiurim, optional weekly bechinos and marei m’komos, as well as a discussion forum that enables participants from around the world to ask questions and discuss the daf.
Join Daf Hashovua today by opening Maseches Beitza to daf beis and you’ll taste success like many others as a result of this sustainable program. Look forward to learning and then celebrating the completion of this masechta in only 9 months.
For info about local Lakewood chaburos:
Cong. Prospect Park
20 Capital Lane
6:30 to 7:30 am
Chaburos Regularly
Call Shimi Nussbaum (732) 705-7991
Bais Medrash Govoha Alumni
901 Madison Ave (entrance on 9th St between Clifton & Madison)
5:30 to 7:00 am
Call Shea Stern 732-908-0808 or Nussi Stern 848-299-1003
Colmbus Ave Shul
1395 Central Ave
Time: 9:00-9:30 every night followed by Maariv at 9:30
Call Yanky Zahler (917) 374 4816
For more info, visit www.dafaweek.org, email [email protected] or call 718.376.9663
Video of recent Siyum on Maseches Sukkah:
www.torahanytime.com/dafaweek
Event begins at 19 minute mark, dancing at end of video.
